Senators making $165k per year stand tall to beat minimum wage hike

The Senate voted 52-46 in favor of raising the minimum wage, but fell short of the 60 votes needed. Another big thank you to the Republican Party.

For the math-challenged like myself, here's what minimum wage is for a full-time worker: $10,712 per year. That's well below the federal poverty level for an individual, let alone a couple or family.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, when adjusting for inflation, the minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1955. Since the minimum wage was last raised in 1997, Congress has voted itself pay raises totalling $31,000 per year.